The following two games were played against the Chess app for the IPad this morning. Both of them saw me in huge trouble and weasel out.
In game one, the engine is rated 2200, and in game two, it is rated 2260. The computer usually makes a few mistakes in every game. I guess it's because it's not the highest rated setting.
I should note the credit system too. The Ipad app is free on a credit system or unlimited if you pay. Each game (and other actions) costs one credit.
You can earn a single credit 3 ways:
1. Checkmate your opponent - This makes you break even!
2. Draw your opponent ... With Your Move
If it's a repetition, you have to reach the position the third time on your move or no credit!
If it's a stalemate, you have to stalemate your opponent.
If it's insufficient material, you have to capture the last piece.
3. Queening a pawn is also worth a credit.
To earn extra credits, you must win or draw AND queen a pawn.
When you go broke, you have to play a game against the lowest rated opponent and earn a credit for your usual opponent.
Anyway, that will explain some of my play in these games.
1.e4 d5 {Here, I usually play 2.d4, but it doesn't work against an engine. They know the most irritating responses to my gambits. 2.Nc3 is good too, when I'm in a quiet mood.} 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Nf6 {I think Ne5 Be6 is right} 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Qe2 Ne4 8.Bd2 Nxd2 9.Qxd2 Qb4 10.O-O-O {No brilliancy - an outright oversight} Qxc4 11.d5 {blast it open!} Nd7 12.Nd4 {removing a potential defender of d7, when the d file opens.} Bg6 13.dxc6 bxc6 14.b3 {preparing white's next move} Qa6 15.Ne6 Qc8 {doh!} 16.Nf4 {hopefully with time for h4} Bf5 17.f3 e5 18.g4 {It's ugly, but I'm committed.} Ba3+ 19.Kb1 Bxg4 20.fxg4 exf4 21.Rhe1+ Kd8 22.Ne4 Qc7 23.Ng5 Rf8 {Almost out of ideas - b4 to trap the bishop Bxb4!} 24.Re4 {For Rd4 or maybe b4 now} Kc8 25.b4 Nf6 26.Rc4 {I'm actually starting to get threats again.} Nxg4 27.Qc3 {The bishop is trapped, so I win a piece.} Qe5 {or so I thought ... Queen trade and g5 attacked} 28.Rxc6+ Kb8 {Kb7 just loses time Rd7+} 29.Qxa3 Qxg5 30.Qa6 {All of a sudden, black appears to be in trouble!} Nxh2 {Typical computer greed - Pre-stockfish of course} 31.Rd7 Qg1+ 32.Kb2 Qb1+ 33.Kxb1 f3 {If I mate, I get 1 credit and break even. Now the dilemma is how to I win this by queening a pawn - 1 credit=queen + 1 credit=win ... and if you queen with mate you only get 1 credit!} 34.Rb6+ axb6 35.Qxb6+ Kc8 36.Rc7+ Kd8 37.Qd6+ Ke8 38.Qc6+ Kd8 39.Qxa8+ Kxc7 40.Qxf8 {It looks like the f pawn falls, and I can queen again in peace.} Nf1 {Setting a trap!!!} 41.Qxf7+ Kb6 {If Qxf3 Nd2+ and all my work is wasted.} 42.Kb2 Nh2 43.Qf4 {The f pawn fell- I queened again, won, and got the full 2 credits}
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 {Going for an Old-Indian Setup} 3.Nc3 Nbd7 4.e4 e5 5.Nf3 Be7 6.Be2 c6 7.O-O Qc7 8.h3 h6 {Intentionally delaying castling - I wanted to try this setup for two reasons. In blitz, I have had trouble against it, so I wanted a fresh idea for white if it is defeated. Also, I have been beating this engine on the higher levels with pawn pushes on the castled king in the past - even higher rated than this!} 9.b4 Nf8 10.a3 {Sort of an engine move ... Most humans would rush in a b5 push, maybe with Rb1. King's Indian Defense theory teaches us that every tempo is important in a queenside counter attack.} g5 11.dxe5 dxe5 12.Be3 Ng6 13.Qc2 {I'd like to get in h5, but I can't so ...} g4 14.hxg4 Nxg4 15.Qd2 h5 16.Ng5 {I had planned an hpawn march, but this slows me down h4 Bxg4 and f3 ---} Nxe3 {I start to drift here. I'm playing without much of a plan.} 17.Qxe3 Nf4 {f4 is a nice post for the knight and g5 is under attack.} 18.Nh3 Bxh3 19.gxh3 {I'm quite happy with black here, although it's probably just even. I'd like to castle but a7 falls. Bg5 doesn't quite do enough. My move, doesn't look so hot either.} Qd7 20.Kh2 {I couldn't really find a move. Here I got a little distracted - phone- and just played for a trick.} Qd4 {Qxd4 exd4 attacks c3, which holds e2. He may still be able to meet exd4 with Kg3 however.} 21.Rad1 Qxe3 22.fxe3 {Now black has no counterplay, and white crashes through - FAIL} Ne6 23.Rf5 {fork} h4 {Rxe5 Bf6 - hits e5 and c3} 24.Rdf1 a5 25.Bh5 axb4 26.Bxf7+ Kd7 27.Rd1+ Kc7 28.Bxe6 bxc3 29.Rd7+ {I only played on to queen the pawn and gain 1 credit.} Kb6 30.Rxe7 c2 31.Rf1 c1=Q {Not good, but on the credit system, probably best} 32.Rxc1 Kc5 {Might as well go for stalemate too} 33.Bf7 Rxa3 34.Rxe5+ Kb4 35.Rb1+ Kc3 36.Rxb7 Rd8 { A mate threat!} 37.Rg5 Kd3 {I've spotted something} 38.e5 Kxe3 39.e6 Rd2+ {and draws!!!} 40.Rg2 Rxg2+ 41.Kxg2 Ra2+ 42.Kh1 Ra1+ {We repeated, and the repetition was on my move so + 1 extra credit!}
It's an odd system (some draws don't count), but I can't complain for free.
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